1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid jetting apparatus which jets liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known a liquid jetting apparatus which includes a liquid droplet jetting head having a liquid jetting surface on which a plurality of nozzles are open to jet the liquid and a wiper which wipes the liquid adhered on the liquid jetting surface.
For example, as the liquid jetting apparatus having the wiper described above, Japanese Patent No. 4131046 discloses a printer which jets ink on a printing paper sheet from nozzles of a printing head to record an image etc. (see FIG. 11 in Japanese Patent No. 4131046). In this printer, the wiper is held by a wiper holder. The wiper holder is moved upwardly and downwardly in a direction perpendicular to the ink jetting surface on which the nozzles of the printing head are open to move the wiper between a wiping position at which the wiper is brought in contact with the ink jetting surface and a waiting position at which the wiper and the ink-jetting surface are in a separated state.
In particular, the wiper holder which holds the wiper is urged by a spring in a direction in which the wiper is separated from the ink jetting surface. The wiper holder is pushed and moved upwardly by a guide. Then, an engaging claw formed on the wiper holder is fitted into (engaged with) an engagement-receiving portion formed on a base provided in a printer main body. Accordingly, the wiper holder is engaged at the wiping position, at which the wiper holder is moved upwardly against the biasing force of the spring. When the engagement of the engaging claw with the engagement-receiving portion is released, the wiper holder is moved downwardly by the biasing force of the spring and is brought in contact with a stopper formed in the base at the lower surface thereof. Accordingly, the wiper holder is placed at the waiting position.
In general, the wiper holder which holds the wiper and/or the base which includes the stopper is/are formed of, for example a synthetic resin, to have a high strength in order to maintain shape(s), posture(s), etc., of the wiper holder and/or the stopper. However, in a case that the wiper holder and/or the stopper is/are formed to have the high strength and that the wiper is separated from the liquid jetting surface immediately after the wiping to hit the wiper holder against the stopper, any impact or shock generates to vibrate the wiper due to, for example, the biasing force of the spring, like the wiper described above, or a fall of the wiper by the self-weight. When the impact described above generates to vibrate the wiper having the liquid adhered at the time of the wiping of the liquid jetting surface, the liquid adhered on the wiper is scattered to the surroundings.
In view of the above, an object of the present teaching is to provide a liquid jetting apparatus which prevents the liquid adhered on the wiper from being scattered to the surroundings when the wiper separated from the liquid jetting surface makes contact with the stopper.